In a statement issued Saturday morning, Town Manager Larry Mead said Plummer was relieved of his duties Friday and placed him on administrative leave until further notice.

More than 100 firefighters from across southern Maine were called in to fight the April 15 fire at Jones Creek Marsh.

The area was under a red flag warning that day, with high winds and dry land fueling the fire. Winds whipping flames as high as 30 feet prompted the evacuation of several condo complexes as a precaution.

On Friday, the fire marshal's office and the Maine Forest Service issued search warrants at the OOB fire station and seized station computers, the fire chief's car and his cellphone. Plummer was also interviewed.

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Plummer, who has served as Old Orchard Beach's fire chief since September 2014, has been charged with one count of arson. Authorities have not yet said why or how Plummer started the fire.

"It was narrowed down to a human-caused fire and, that being said, some evidence did come forward that led us to get a search warrant. And then after the search warrant was conducted an arrest warrant was given late last night, early this morning," said Arthur Lavioe, a district forest ranger.

He is currently being held at the Cumberland County Jail on $10,000 bail. He could make his first court appearance next week.

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Citing the criminal investigation and state law that makes personnel issues confidential, Mead said the town would have no further comment on Plummer's situation.

"I want to reassure the residents of Old Orchard Beach that the public safety needs of the town will continue to be fully served," Mead said.

The day-to-day operations of the fire department will be handled by the department's "highly qualified and experienced" command staff, he said.

“Anytime that we have anybody involved in the fire service that is looked at for any type of activity, it’s certainly concerning,” state Fire Marshal Joe Thomas said. “We see this in our society today and these things do happen, and we treat them exactly the same as we do any other case that we investigate.”

Some residents said they were shocked by the allegations.

“We felt so much gratitude towards them,” said Paula Beyer, president of the Davenport by the Sea condominiums, which were evacuated during the fire. “It’s very sad. It’s sad, I’m sure, for the fire department and the whole town and for all of us, but, to me, it doesn’t reflect the rest of them.”

Linda Malin’s complex was close to being evacuated.

“It makes you wonder who you can trust. I mean, really. You know, this happens a lot, but it’s really sad when someone that’s supposed to protect you puts you in harm’s way,” Malin said.

A bio for Plummer provided to the Old Orchard Beach Town Council during a meeting on Aug. 29, 2014, when he was hired, described him as "a seasoned negotiator with years of experience as Fire Chief/EMA Director in North Yarmouth, Maine; the City of Marlborough, MA; Town of Gray, Maine; City of Cocoa, Florida; City of Biddeford, Maine; Standish, Maine; as well as Cumberland County Weapons of Mass Destruction/Haz Mat Chairman; and Portsmouth, N.H."

North Yarmouth Fire Rescue Chief Gregory Payson released a statement Saturday afternoon. Plummer lead that department until September 2014.

"The Town of North Yarmouth and North Yarmouth Fire Rescue are deeply saddened by the recent news reports in Old Orchard Beach," Payson said in part.

"I would like to state for the record that at this time the town of North Yarmouth does not have any unresolved fires under investigation to include the Wescustogo Hall fire of August 29, 2013, nor have we been contacted by the State Police or the State Fire Marshalls Office," Payson said.

He urged the public to be patient during the current investigation.

"Don’t let this incident reflect poorly on the dedicated professionals that work for the Town of Old Orchard or this profession as a whole," he said.